Sewing Mistresses of Harris

These are the ladies as recorded in the 1841-1901 censuses. I have made comments following each census:

1861

SOUTH

Mary Galbraith, 37, Teacher of Embroidery, Wife, b. Ireland

Mary, who lived at the house built by the Countess of Dunmore for the Gardener (Henry Galbraith) is not strictly a 'Sewing Mistress' but I have included her for the sake of completeness.

1871

SOUTH

Jessie E Macrae, 24, Embroidery School Mistress, Head, b. Thurso, Caithness-shire

(Mary Galbraith, 47, Teacher of Embroidery, Wife, b. Ireland)

?

Mary Macaulay, 21, School Mistress, Industrial School, b. Stornoway

It would be interesting to know when Mary Galbraith first had an assistant but I presume that Jessie's presence is indicative of the success of the Emroidery School at this time.

Mary Macaulay has been included because this is the only reference I have found specifically to an 'Industrial School' in Harris. There were 34 people at the address 'Industrial School' in 5 households but the precise location is unknown to me.

1881

SOUTH

Jessie Brunton, 32, Sewing Mistress 'Elm School', Wife, b. Meigle, Perthshire

Mary Mackinnon Jnr, 32, Sewing Mistress (School), Sister, Crofter's Dwelling House, b. Harris

Bella Macrae, 30, Housemaid and Sewing Mistress, South Harris Niece, b. Lochalsh, Ross

NORTH

Mary Morrison, 37, Sewing Mistress, Daughter, East Tarbert 32, b. Harris

Isabella Macaskill, 25, Sewing Mistress, Sister-in-Law, Missionary's House, b. Lochs

We do not see our first Sewing Mistresses until 1881 following the introduction of the the Education Act (Scotland) 1872. Was 'Elm School' a name, or merely shorthand for 'Elementary'? It might even be 'Embroidery'... Our one precise location is East Tarbert but I would like to know where in North Harris the 'missionary's House' was.

1891

BAYS

Margaret Macrae, 39, Sewing Mistress, Wife, Finsbay, b.Uig, Lewis

Christy Gillanders, 29, Sewing Mistress, Daughter, Private House, Geocrab, b. Lewis

Jane Brown, 37, Sewing Mistress, Wife, Public Schoolhouse, Kyles Stockinish, b. Loudon, Ayrshire

Jessie Young, 21, Teacher's Wife Sewing Mistress, Wife, 19 Drinishader, b. Harris

NORTH

Marion Duncan, 36, Sewing Mistress, Wife, Public School, North Harris, b. Harris

Mary Morrison, 47, Sewing Mistress, Daughter, No 10 East Tarbert, b. Harris

SCALPAY

Peggy Morrison, 22, Sewing Mistress, Daughter, Scalpay No 74, b. Harris

Bessie Mackinnon, 53, Sewing Mistress, Sister, Scalpay No 56, b. Harris

Catherine S Smith, 30, Sewing Mistress, Sister, Scalpay No 25, b. Kilfinan, Argyll

A very noticeable shift has taken place with the appearance of the four ladies in the Bays from Finsbay, via Geocrab and Kyles Stockinish, to Drinishader. Mary Morrison is still in East Tarbert and Scalpay makes a significant, and intriguing, appearance.

1901

BAYS

Catherine Campbell, 26, Sewing Mistress, Daughter, 7 Plocrapool, b. Harris

Maggie Simpson, 33, Sewing Mistress 'Occasional', Wife, School house, Drinishader, b. Glasgow

What we can say is that, for a brief time in the late 19thC, there were several ladies working specifically as Sewing Mistresses and that their numbers and distribution again reflect the general trend away from the South as the home of innovation.

There are several obvious gaps here such as where are the Sewing Mistresses for the Schools in the South after 1881?, or of Tarbert in 1901? It may be that several of those teaching Sewing are 'hidden' amongst those not specifying a subject on the census returns.

Whatever the reason, at least we have these recorded Sewing Mistresses of Harris.

Update: As a result of researching some more of the web of connections in the isles, I have discovered that Bessie Mackinnon, the Sewing Mistress in Scalpay in 1891, was the sister-in-law of my 3rd great aunt Ann Kerr. Bessie was the daughter of the blind tailor, Alexander MacKinnon who was cleared from Abhainnsuidhe to ake way for the castle there in the 1860s and Ann Kerr, my aunt, was the daughter of the tailor John Kerr of Direcleit, Harris.